Osama’s Mica Mine

These mines are on a sheriff’s private property (learned that fact after exploring) so I am not giving directions. HINT: This mine is visible from the 8 freeway and we had just finished visiting Coyote’s Repair Shop when we spotted it. There is a third, larger mine higher up on the hill but it was hot and we had people waiting in the car for us so we didn’t bother the climb.

These mines were so pretty though! They don’t go deep and you can see the end from outside. We didn’t go inside because mines are not safe to go in. The less I go inside, the better off I am. They glistened so beautifully with mica. I’m sure there is a lot more to explore in this immediate area, but we were crunched for time and trying to get out before temperatures reached 100.

I found this on the internet about the minerals: “The lower hillside around both sites sparkles with mica chips that litter the ground. We also found a lot of cream colored feldspar along with lots of garden variety quartz, but none of the more desirable minerals listed in the book. A couple of very small quartz pieces exhibited a little rainbow, but it was probably just diffraction. We obtained a couple of nice specimens of mica on feldspar, but in general, this site is not worth traveling any great distance to visit. If you’re in the area though, give it a look.”